I've Realized Something Important

"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion) 08/29/2018 at 09:55 • Filed to: None

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It seems like it should be obvious, but evidently not - at least to me.

[ boat dogs for your time]

I have never been a super-competitive person, although there are a few athletic things I consider myself to be good at, and I enjoy challenging myself with others in those pursuits. For me it’s waterskiing, mountain biking, and snow skiing; not necessarily in that order.

Since I started working full-time, and now with kids, I don’t have nearly the free time I used to for athletic pursuits of any kind. I didn’t even ride my bike for the better part of EIGHT years, which is a shocking number for me to think about, by the way. But I’ve been riding again for the last four years, and absolutely loving it. The trails I ride are extremely challenging, and I always feel great after tackling them, even on a bad day.

About 10 days ago now, I had a minor crash on my bike - I’ve had far worse falls that did not result in injury - and banged up my right thumb. It’s not worthy of medical attention, but it hurts enough that I can’t ride my bike in the woods.

This picture belies the amazing trails that surround this field in Burke, Vermont. The Kingdom Trails are legendary, and fully deserve the reputation.

I don’t really like running. But last night, I was feeling stir-crazy so I put on my shoes and told my wife I was going for a run. Mind you, it’s 7:30pm, the sun has set, and it’s 79 degrees with 99% humidity outside. She looked at me like I was crazy. I wasn’t sure she was wrong.

But I ran three miles in 28 minutes and loved it. Never mind the sweat pouring down my face. I feel so much better when my muscles are a little bit sore, and when I’ve pushed myself physically. It seems I keep forgetting that I really need to challenge myself physically in order to feel... like myself. And my realization is that it doesn’t matter if it’s not my favorite activity. It’s the challenge that matters. I could tell my mood was better when I came back, and has been better today than yesterday - not that it was bad, but I actually feel great today. I have more energy and I’m excited to go run again, weirdly.

The same can be said for working on my cars (or boats). I find a lot of tasks absolutely daunting, and sometimes I shy away from attempting a job because of the unknown. But when I do tackle something, I always feel better having done it myself, no matter how difficult it ended up being. Every time, I think, “man I should do more of my own work” but time restrictions again come into play.

I guess all I’m saying is, sometimes you just don’t realize how important something is to you, until you go without it, then return to it - even in a different form. Or more generally, just because you don’t think you like something, try it anyway. Wait a while and try it again. You never know.

ttyymmnn > functionoverfashion 08/29/2018 at 10:04

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This is good Kinja. 

functionoverfashion > ttyymmnn 08/29/2018 at 10:08

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Thanks. I don’t post much personal stuff, but this is tangential to cars/ mechanical things, so... here it is.

Damned if my thumb doesn’t hurt from typing though - I can’t keep myself from using my right one on the spacebar unless I really concentrate....

OPPOsaurus WRX > functionoverfashion 08/29/2018 at 10:09

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I’m always amazed at how much better I feel when i get out and exercise. If I go for a couple weeks without doing anything and then I run or bike I’m much more awake the next day and i sleep better.

I love running at night. I’ve run a few times at 9 or 10. Its quiet, you can see stars, its great. I have a head lamp I carry so I can turn it on if I hear wildlife or see a car coming. It also helps that I just run in my neighborhood and can do 2 or 3 miles without anyone driving by.

I love riding trails at night too but I only do that with a friend and head lamps.

Cash Rewards > functionoverfashion 08/29/2018 at 10:11

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I could show this post to my wife, tell her I wrote it, and she'd say "yeah, glad you finally listened to me.". There'd be times where I'd be cranky and she would kick me out of the house to run.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > functionoverfashion 08/29/2018 at 10:12

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Thanks for the motivation. I need to get to this place...

Here’s m y list:

- clean and organize my garage (been in our new home a year - still a mess)
- take a walk with the dogs every night (with nearly no exception)
- take a hike or go kayaking at least once every 2 weeks
- take a drive just for pleasure at least once every 2 weeks
- work on a design/sketch/brainstorm at least once a week
- take my camera along more of the time, and take more photos
- stretch/push- ups/pull- ups every day
- go camping at least once every 2 months
- have a backyard fire at least once a week
- go fishing with the kids regularly (we have a half acre pond out back)

functionoverfashion > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/29/2018 at 10:24

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I try not to be that specific, because I get bummed out if I don’t get to it. I find that things like biking just fall into place if I plan ahead, but not much more than a week ahead. For example, on a Sunday I think, “hmm which day could I get a ride in this week?” and when I do it, I don’t think about it again for a few days. Or a friend will text me asking to go, and I’ll try hard to make it work for both of us.

With chores, I do keep a list, but I don’t set deadlines unless there really ARE deadlines (e.g. stacking firewood before it snows).

I find that if I keep my expectations for my free time very low, I feel better when I accomplish literally anything, than if I have a list of 10 things going into a weekend, knowing fully I won’t get to more than 3.

Ash78, voting early and often > functionoverfashion 08/29/2018 at 10:26

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Funny and semi-related: Yesterday I was working on my son’s new freestyle BMX bike (his first — a Walmart junker to see if he likes it). Because Walmart assembled it, I went through all the safety stuff and noticed the brake calipers were misaligned. I started to move one with my hand since it was juuuusst loose enough to avoid tools.

My hand slipped and hit the end cap of a brake cable, punching a really ugly hole right through my thumbnail. The most blood I have shed in years and it hurts like a mofo. I hate bikes right now.

Running: I always enjoyed weights, climbing, obstacle racing, and general fitness stuff, but only really started getting interested in running about a year ago. I don’t like distance stuff, but I have been working to get my 5k time under 22:00 (which I haven’t done in competition yet). For a 39-year-old, 200# guy that’s harder than it sounds. Plus our topography is pretty harsh...a normal 5k in my area is 200-400 feet of (gross) elevation gain, and the rules with running are that you’ll never make up all your time downhill that you’ve lost uphill. Our bodies just won’t allow it.

Doesn’t help that it’s over 90 degrees every day, normally with high humidity. I just can’t do it.

But I am thinking about doing our big half-marathon in February (it’s a sanctioned one and a Boston qualifier). But part of my goal is to never run more than 5 miles in training, just to see if I can translate it to long/slow/distance when the time comes. Finding training time is the hardest thing...

functionoverfashion > OPPOsaurus WRX 08/29/2018 at 10:27

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I may have to try running at night, since the sunset is creeping back at an alarming pace right now. But yeah, like everyone tells you, exercise is good - at just about any level.

I do bike at night a fair amount, and just can’t always bring a friend. It’s a risk, I know. I actually got a second light so that’s a plus. When my headlamp was ripped off by a branch earlier this summer I was able to find it quickly by using my other light - and I didn’t die riding into a dicey rock ledge with no light, haha

Tripper > functionoverfashion 08/29/2018 at 10:42

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+1 on all of this. I absolutely love running while hating it at the same time. I think about how much it’s going to suck until I start running. Then I become impressed with my progress while I’m running. I feel great afterward, and then comes the best part. I get to log the miles into the spreadsheet I have been keeping since mid January.

I’m running everyday unless I get some other kind of exercise in. I also ride mountain bikes every once in a while. I go surfing and snowboarding when weather/time of year permits. I feel great after any of that but surfing takes the cake.

I never exercised much in my younger years, but now I’ll take it wherever I can get it. I’ll never pass up an opportunity to do something new. Yoga, rock climbing, you name it. I wan’t to be able to run around with my kids as they grow.

functionoverfashion > Cash Rewards 08/29/2018 at 10:44

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My wife has done this to me with the bike. “go biking!”

ttyymmnn > functionoverfashion 08/29/2018 at 10:54

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I was going to go all into age, being a dad, exercise, all that. But what I wrote I think conveyed all of that. I will say, though, that getting old sucks. Things that never hurt start hurt, things that always worked stop working, things that always healed never heal. There’s that old saying “You’re only as old as you feel.” I prefer my corollary, which is “You don’t have to feel as old as you are.” But sometimes, that’s hard.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > functionoverfashion 08/29/2018 at 10:55

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It is overly specific, but I won’t get too bummed if I miss targets . This is clearly optimal - goals to work toward.

I have a separate chore list that consumes a lot of my time. I put the garage on this list because it makes me feel so damn good to have a clean, well-organized garage and workbench.

functionoverfashion > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/29/2018 at 11:24

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Cool - I mean, don’t get me wrong, if I were to list out goals like that, mine would look similar I’m sure.

Agreed on the garage / workbench. I don’t have a garage yet, but my workbench in the basement is always clean (okay, almost always). And the shed is organized, for now - I’m still trying to figure out what fits where, and if I need more shelves, or some rolling dollies e.g. for stacks of off-season wheels. My wife’s snows, for example, are on a little dolly and it’s so nice to be able to move them all at once, easily. But I digress. 

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > functionoverfashion 08/29/2018 at 11:29

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I’m fortunate to  have a garage, and have plans to add a 30' x 50' shop before too long as well. Seriously looking forward to having that kind of space!

functionoverfashion > Tripper 08/29/2018 at 11:33

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I wan’t to be able to run around with my kids as they grow.

^^ That’s the other thing. My father still runs at age 70, and credits that for being able to keep up with me (mostly) on skis, even through college when I raced competitively. Sure I’m faster in a race course, but we can ski together and it’s wonderful.

I hope to be able to do the same with my kids. In fact, my kids have already skied and biked with ALL of their grandparents, which is awesome. They’re all over 70 now, too. 

functionoverfashion > ttyymmnn 08/29/2018 at 11:35

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For sure, I feel the age more now than ever . I do all the same stuff I did (athletically) at age 25 but I’ll also randomly have a sore back for 3 weeks - like right now. What’s funny is it hurts when I’m sitting around, but not when I’m riding my bike or running. So there’s that. 

I like your spin on that quote. I may have to use that.

functionoverfashion > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/29/2018 at 11:38

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That would be... amazing. We have the space, but clearly a garage will precede any other outbuildings. Well, wait. We built the shed first. But partly because it was cheap and easy, and partly to swallow up all the crap that would otherwise fill a bay of the garage. I hope to build a 3-bay with a lean-to roof off one end, so we can get all three cars inside and the truck and/or boat on the end, seasonally. We shall see. We need the kids to get out of their private preschool first! 

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > functionoverfashion 08/29/2018 at 11:49

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That will be sweet. I went from a 3 car to a 2 car, but it’s really deep and a strange shape, so my overall sq footage is greater than I had before. That 3-wide driveway sure was nice , though.

wantafuncar > functionoverfashion 08/29/2018 at 11:58

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I agree.

Also - I want a boat like that.  Love the water.

nermal > functionoverfashion 08/29/2018 at 12:10

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This is great, and agreed. Thanks for sharing!

ttyymmnn > functionoverfashion 08/29/2018 at 12:22

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You are free to use it free of royalties with appropriate attribution .

I’ve had a dodgy back for years, and I’ve learned that the best thing for it when it hurts is to just keep moving.

functionoverfashion > wantafuncar 08/29/2018 at 12:57

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Thanks. And yeah, I searched a long time for this boat. I may never sell it.

functionoverfashion > nermal 08/29/2018 at 12:57

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Thanks!

functionoverfashion > ttyymmnn 08/29/2018 at 13:01

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Me: I just think I don’t have to feel as old as I am credit to ttyymmnn you know what I mean?

Wife: Wait, what was that in the middle?

...

Yep, just keep moving. Inertia, and all that.